Chevron Exits Federal Carbon Capture Project in Kern County

Chevron has withdrawn from a federal partnership aimed at designing and building equipment to capture carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, a project that had been seen as key to Kern County's economic development.

The Western Regional Direct Air Capture Hub, which was one of five local projects approved for multimillion-dollar subsidies under the Biden administration, has lost Chevron's support. The company's withdrawal sets back efforts to establish Kern as a center of excellence for carbon management.

Chevron's spokesperson Chanel Jolly said the decision to withdraw from the project was made in July 2025, but was never publicly announced. The company received $3 million in federal funding to pay for project design work, and had been working on the project since 2024.

The withdrawal does not mean the project is unfeasible, Jolly noted. Chevron's agreement to terminate the award does not reflect its position on other partnerships with the Department of Energy or the viability of the project itself.